The present invention relates to a system for controlling the assembly of packages comprising pieces and components and, more particularly, to a system for controlling the feeding of pieces and components to form packages to be mailed or otherwise conveyed to customers.
Binding lines and mail tables are currently employed as package assembly lines for assembling pieces and components into packages and for sorting the packages in order to achieve increased delivery (e.g., postal) discounts. In terms of a binding line, the packages which are assembled are magazines, newspapers, catalogs, books, or the like, and the pieces and components which are assembled into these packages are signatures and inserts/onserts, respectively. The binding line includes a plurality of piece feeders and component feeders which feed signatures and inserts/onserts to a transport in the form of a gathering chain in order to assemble packages from the signatures and inserts/onserts.
The binding line may also include a trimmer for trimming excess paper from the packages, a reject station for rejecting improperly formed packages, and a stacker for stacking the non-rejected packages. The binding line may be arranged so that the stacker stacks the packages by walk sequence, carrier route, zip code, sectional center facility, or other delivery discount structure. In addition, a controller synchronizes the feeding of the signatures and inserts/onserts to the transport so that each transport space receives the correct combination of signatures and inserts/onserts.
In terms of a mail table, the packages which are assembled are typically stuffed envelopes to be mailed or otherwise sent to customers, the pieces are different versions or titles of magazines, newspapers, catalogs, books, or the like, and the components are inserts/onserts. The mail table assembles and wraps the pieces and components into packages for mailing to customers. The mail table includes a plurality of piece feeders and component feeders which feed versions/titles and inserts/onserts to a transport in order to assemble packages from the versions/titles and inserts/onserts.
The mail table may also include a reject station for rejecting improperly formed packages, a poly-wrapper for stuffing combinations of versions/titles and inserts/onserts into thermoplastic envelopes or wraps, a poly-wrap shrink tunnel for sealing the thermoplastic envelope, and a stacker for stacking the non-rejected packages. The mail table is typically arranged so that the stacker stacks the packages by walk sequence, carrier route, zip code, sectional center facility, or other delivery discount structure. In addition, a controller synchronizes the feeding of the versions/titles and inserts/onserts to the transport so that each transport space and each customer receives the correct combination of versions/titles and inserts/onserts.
The components, which are fed by one or more of the component feeders of a package assembly line, may be pre-personalized components. A pre-personalized component, for example, may be an onsert which carries the name and address information of a customer and is often used as the address label for the package. When a pre-personalized onsert is fed onto a piece moving along the transport, the piece with the pre-personalized onsert thereon is typically stuffed into a thermoplastic envelope by the poly-wrap machine. The thermoplastic envelope is sealed by the poly-wrap shrink tunnel. This package is then fed to the stacker which stacks the packages in a way to achieve increased delivery discounts.
In these package assembly lines, a controller controls the feeding of pieces and components to the transport. Because at least some of the pieces and components may be specific to individual customers or to groups of customers, the pieces and the components must be matched in order to ensure that the customers are sent the correct combinations of pieces and components.
Known systems which coordinate the feeding of pieces and components to form packages targeted for specific customers are generally of two types. In a first type of system, the components control the feeding of the pieces. That is, codes, which are carried by the components, are detected by a detector which may be, for example, a code reader or scanner. A controller controls the feeding of pieces to the transport in response to the detected codes on the components so that the correct combinations of pieces and components arrive at the corresponding transport spaces and are thereby assembled into packages. These codes correspond to the names and addresses of customers. By controlling the feeding of pieces in response to these codes, it is hoped that each customer will receive the correct combination of pieces and components.
The pieces are usually supplied by a printer who has printed the pieces in accordance with a data file containing the names and addresses of customers. The components are usually supplied by a supplier who has prepared the components in accordance with a component sequence list. Because the pieces and components are usually supplied from different sources, there is a greater chance of discrepancies between the data file which governs which customers receive which pieces and the components to be added to the pieces. For example, it is often the case that the components in the component feeder are missing, are duplicates, or are otherwise erroneous. When there is a difference between the data file and the components, the package assembly line typically must be shut down until the errors can be corrected. Significant cost penalties may be incurred because of this down time.
In a second type of system, the data file controls the feeding of pieces and components. In this case, the codes on the components in the component feeder are read and compared to the data file. If the components do not match within some standard, the components are rejected and other components are substituted therefor. For example, the codes on the pre-personalized onserts in an onsert feeder are read and compared to the data file. If the pre-personalized onserts do not match within some standard, the pre-personalized onserts are rejected and generic onserts are substituted therefor. An ink jet printer then prints the name and address corresponding to the rejected pre-personalized onsert onto the generic onsert. Because components are costly to create, significant cost penalties may be incurred because of the rejection of numerous components which do not match the sequence of customers in the data file.
The present invention overcomes one or more of the above-described problems.
Accordingly, in one aspect of the invention, a system for use in connection with a package assembly line includes a storing means, a detecting means, a comparing means, and a list re-sequencing means. The package assembly line has a piece feeder and a component feeder. The piece feeder is arranged to feed pieces to a transport of the package assembly line. The component feeder is arranged to feed components to the transport of the package assembly line so that the components and the pieces are combined into packages. The components have corresponding component identifiers thereon. The storing means stores a piece data file having piece identifiers corresponding to pieces fed by the piece feeder. The detecting means detects a component identifier from a component being fed by the component feeder toward the transport. The comparing means compares the detected component identifier to a corresponding piece identifier in the piece data file. The list re-sequencing means re-sequences the piece data file if the detected component identifier fails to match the corresponding piece identifier.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a system for use in connection with a package assembly line includes a storing means, a detecting means, a comparing means, and a list re-sequencing means. The package assembly line has a piece feeder, a component feeder, and a transport. The transport is divided into transport spaces. The piece feeder is arranged to feed a first piece to a first transport space and a second piece to a second transport space. The component feeder is arranged to feed a first component to the first transport space and a second component to the second transport space. The first component has a first component identifier thereon, and the second component has a second component identifier thereon. The first piece has a first piece identifier associated therewith, and the second piece has a second piece identifier associated therewith. The storing means stores the first and second piece identifiers in a piece data file. The detecting means detects the first component identifier from the first component as the first component is fed by the component feeder toward the first transport space. The comparing means compares the detected first component identifier to the first piece identifier. The list re-sequencing means re-sequences the first and second piece identifiers in the piece data file if the first component identifier fails to match the first piece identifier.
In accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention, a system for use in connection with a package assembly line includes a storing means, a detecting means, a comparing means, and a rejecting means. The package assembly line has a piece feeder, a component feeder, and a transport. The piece feeder is arranged to feed first and second pieces to the transport. The component feeder is arranged to feed first and second components to the transport. The first component has a first component identifier thereon, and the second component has a second component identifier thereon. The storing means stores a component sequence list containing component identifiers corresponding to a desired sequence in which components are to be fed by the component feeder. The detecting means detects the first component identifier from the first component as the first component is fed by the component feeder toward the transport. The comparing means compares the first component identifier to the component sequence list. The rejecting means rejects the first component if the first component identifier fails to match the component sequence list.
In accordance with still another aspect of the present invention, a system for use in connection with a package assembly line includes first and second detecting means and a controlling means. The package assembly line has a piece feeder, a component feeder, and a transport. The piece feeder is arranged to feed pieces to the transport. The component feeder is arranged to feed components to the transport. The components have component identifiers thereon. The first detecting means detects the component identifiers from the components as the components are fed by the component feeder toward the transport. The second detecting means detects the component identifiers from the components as the components are fed by the component feeder toward the transport. The controlling means controls feeding of the components to the transport in response to the detected component identifiers.
In accordance with a further aspect of the present invention, a system for use in connection with a package assembly line includes a storing means, a detecting means, a comparing means, and a controlling means. The package assembly line has a piece feeder and a component feeder. The piece feeder is arranged to feed pieces to a transport of the package assembly line, and the component feeder is arranged to feed components to the transport of the package assembly line so that the components and the pieces are combined into packages. The components have corresponding component identifiers thereon. The storing means stores a piece data file, wherein the piece data file contains piece identifiers grouped by postal break, and wherein the piece identifiers correspond to the pieces fed by the piece feeder. The detecting means detects a component identifier from a component being fed by the component feeder to the transport. The comparing means compares the detected component identifier to piece identifiers up to a corresponding postal break in the piece data file. The controlling means controls feeding of the component to the transport in response to the detected component identifier.
In accordance with yet a further aspect of the present invention, a system for use in connection with a package assembly line includes a storing means, a detecting means, a comparing means, a controlling means, and a report generating means. The package assembly line has a piece feeder, a component feeder, and a transport. The piece feeder is arranged to feed a piece to the transport, and the component feeder is arranged to feed a component to the transport. The component has a component identifier thereon, and the piece has a piece identifier associated therewith. The storing means stores the piece identifier in a piece data file. The detecting means detects the component identifier from the component as the component is fed by the component feeder toward the transport. The comparing means compares the detected component identifier to the piece identifier. The controlling means controls feeding of the component to the transport if the component identifier matches the piece identifier. The report generating means generates an exceptions report if the component identifier fails to match the piece identifier.